The CultCast

Send us a text!This week: WWDC 2019 is right around the corner, and a new report sheds light on everything Apple's prepping to reveal. We discuss! Plus: the magic of Corning glass, and how making your iPhone just slightly thicker would make it indestructible. And we reveal how and why Jony Ive and team created the massive mystery rainbow structure now present at the heart of Apple Park. This episode supported by Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace   This week's stories Order Leander's new book, signed! Apple to Reveal New Home-Grown Apps, Software Features at WWDC Apple Inc. is planning to unleash a slew of new apps, features and development tools at its annual software conference next month. How (and why) Jony Ive built the mysterious rainbow Apple Stage It’s the latest creation by Jony Ive’s team — and it’s just as thoughtfully and intricately designed as you might imagine. Apple Park: The Inner Spaceship Stage - May 2019  

Send us a text!This week: will it be a car, glasses, or a full frame camera? iPhones aren’t selling like they used to, and Apple’s looking for their next huge hit! We discuss... Plus: even with iPhone sales way down, Apple managed to have another MASSIVE quarter, and you won’t believe how they pulled it off. And stay tuned for our favorite shows and games in an all-new What We’re Into 🔥 This episode supported by Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace   This week's stories Order Leander's new book, signed! Apple’s wearables is now the size of a Fortune 200 company Sales of the Apple Watch grew 50% compared to the same quarter last year, Apple CEO Tim Cook said on Apple’s Q2 2019 quarterly analyst call on Tuesday. If Apple’s wearables business — which includes the Apple Watch and the popular AirPod earbuds — were a stand-alone company, it would be in the Fortune 200, Cook said. Apple’s wearables business also includes its home and accessories category. Together, sales in the March quarter hit a record $5.1 billion in revenue, up from $3.94 billion in the year-ago quarter. Wearables now almost as big as the Mac business (5.5B last quarter). Services business is now more than twice as big as the Mac business! Apple Shipped an Estimated 36.4 Million iPhones Worldwide in Q1 2019, a 30% Year-Over-Year Decline Apple shipped an estimated 36.4 million iPhones worldwide during the first calendar quarter of 2019, which corresponds to Apple's second fiscal quarter, according to new estimates shared today by IDC. Apple's worldwide smartphone shipments were down 30.2 percent from 52.2 million iPhones shipped in the first quarter of 2018. The decline in sales led to Apple losing the number two worldwide smartphone vendor spot to Huawei. In Q1 2019, Huawei shipped an estimated 59.1 million smartphones. Our Under Review picks! The Man in the High Castle Borderlands 3 official gameplay trailer  

Send us a text!This week: some major changes are in store for Apple’s legendary industrial design team… we discuss. Plus: Apple commits to fixing all MacBook keyboard issues in just ONE day. This is huge. And it looks like not one but TWO new versions of the AirPods are in development, with one being released this year. We’ll fill you in. And the new Powerbeats Pro wireless earphones are almost here, and they look like the higher quality AirPods we’ve always wanted. This episode supported by Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney   This week's stories Order Leander's new book, signed! Apple sets 24-hour turnaround time for MacBook keyboard repairs Apple has ordered that sticky MacBook keys be repaired fast enough that, whenever possible, the owner can get their computer back the next day. An internal Apple memo said this: “Most keyboard-related repairs will be required to be completed in store until further notice. Additional service parts have been shipped to stores to support the increased volume. These repairs should be prioritized to provide next-day turnaround time.” Keyboard issues were previously being sent out for repairs, which could take a full week. Apple is now prioritizing repairs and they will be done in store whenever possible. The goal is to get your laptop back to you in 24 hours. My source says they see rarely see issues with the 3rd get butterfly keyboard He works at one of the busiest stores on the the west coast. They see 2017 and 2016 MBP keyboard issues all the time... When they do see issues, it’s usually with someone who does a lot of typing For 2016 2017 models, he said most issues are from debris under the keys. They use a special tool to remove the key, blow it out with canned air, and wipe it out with alcohol, then it’s “good as new” Renowned Apple analyst thinks 2 new AirPod models are on the way Ming-Chi Kuo says Cupertino plans to release two new models of AirPods, either at the end of this year or the start of 2020. The two models Kuo mentions will include a more expensive and a cheaper option. This would make the AirPods product lineup similar to how Apple has been dividing the iPhone since 2013’s iPhone 5c and 5s. Kuo says the pricier AirPods option will include a redesigned form factor. The cheaper models, meanwhile, will retain the same design and pricing as the current model.

Send us a text!This week: is the CultCast crew too critical of Apple? Some say yes. We discuss! Plus, we talk about the pros and cons of Apple’s reported modular Mac Pro. And we’ll look at why Samsung’s new folding phone is already breaking! And this fatal flaw might mean its demise... This episode supported by Dashlane is the official password manager of Cult of Mac. It's so good, even El Kahney's mummy uses it! Use it for free for one device at Dashlane.com/CultofMac. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace   This week's stories Order Leander's new book, signed! Modular Mac Pro - Apple’s next flop? Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Flagship Smartphones Samsung’s folding smartphones break on Day 1 Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold smartphone has a serious problem with its folding display. Multiple early reviewers are reporting that the display has broken after just one or two days of use. It appears that the hinge on some units is defective, causing the screen to be unusable. The Verge, Bloomberg, and other high profile reviewers have had the screens on their units break  

Send us a text!This week: Apple’s readying a totally redesigned MacBook Pro with next gen display! We discuss. Plus: Apple’s working on the next generation of Magsafe! And we take a fascinating look at the unbelievable scale and size of Apple’s megafactories from a bonus chapter of Leander’s new book, Tim Cook: The genius who took Apple to the next level. This episode supported by Techmeme Ride Home is silicon valley's water cooler podcast. Stay up to date on the latest tech news with new episodes each day--search for Ride Home podcast in your podcast app of choice and give it a listen! Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lkahney   This week's stories Pre-Order Leander's new book, signed! 9 months with stereo HomePods! The good, bad, & the UGLY! Apple cuts price of HomePod in U.S. and other countries Apple permanently slashed the price of HomePod in the United States and a number of other countries. The company’s first smart speaker now lists for $299 — a full $50 less than its original price. Some might assume the HomePod discount is a result of lackluster sales. But Apple says it is simply passing on savings achieved by manufacturing at scale, according to AppleInsider. (It’s a shame the company doesn’t do that with all its products.) Biggest MacBook in years could debut in 2021 Ming Chi Kuo says Apple is working on a MacBook Pro that’s bigger than any released in years. The downside is this model won’t be out until 2021. This device, as well as a new iPad and an external display, will all supposedly use a new type of display: microLED.microLED is the next generation of screen technology. It’s brings the strength the strengths of OLED, perfect black levels, incredible color saturation and accuracy, without the negatives, E.G. degrading performance and brightness over time, and burn in. Multiple companies are currently working to figure out how to manufacture the technology, but it’s hard, because the LEDS have to be perfectly placed or the screen brightness looks wonky. The MacBook that will be between 15 and 17 inched. but he’s now saying this will be out in the first half of 2021. This is the same machine Kuo implied would be a major redesign... Apple’s beloved MagSafe connector could make a comeback Apple is exploring charging cables that attach to its devices with magnets. Apple just received a patent for “Smart Charging Systems for Portable Electronic Devices.” This describes using magnets in cables to prevent damage if they get yanked on. Apple envisions the system taking an active part in disconnecting itself if an accident occurs. “The connector can be disconnected from the portable electronic

Send us a text!This week: AirPower—the real problem no one else is talking about… Plus: 2019 iPhone rumors point to some wildly useful new features; more evidence the 2018 MacBook, Air and Pro keyboards are STILL having issues. And we wrap up with a review of Leander’s favorite wireless charging mat, Lewis’ take on the new AirPods 2, and Erfon’s got a favorite new podcasting gadget on an all-new Under Review This episode supported by Techmeme Ride Home is silicon valley's water cooler podcast. Stay up to date on the latest tech news with new episodes each day--search for Ride Home podcast in your podcast app of choice and give it a listen! Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney Pre-Order Leander's new book, signed! What went wrong with Apple’s doomed AirPower charging mat? AirPower is officially dead. It’s the first time in Apple’s history that they canceled an announced, but unreleased product. It’s been about 1.5 years since Apple titillated fans by revealing a wireless charging mat that supposedly would charge not one, not two, but three Apple devices at the same time. Overheating problems reportedly posed the biggest hurdle for bringing AirPower to market. We heard rumors and rumblings for more than a year that Apple faced serious technical hurdles as it tried to make AirPower a reality. Most wireless charging mats have only one power-generating coil. Some specialized chargers offer two coils, placed far apart. Apple tried to put three or more charging coils into one pad so you could place your device anywhere and it would start charging. One of John Gruber’s sources said the design would never work; it violated the laws of physics. But here’s the real AirPower problem no one’s talking about… Two-way charging and bigger batteries rumored for 2019 iPhones According to a new report from Mind Chi Kuo, Apple is reportedly planning to add two-way charging that will allow it to recharge your Apple Watch, AirPods and even other iPhones. Now if this feature sounds familiar, it may be because Samsung included on the Galaxy S10+... Kuo also claims battery capacity will increase between 10 percent and 25 percent on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max successors. The iPhone XS successor will get the biggest gains, while the iPhone XR successor is expected to get minimal battery gains Other rumored features for the 2019 iPhone lineup includes a three-lens camera on the back, improved Face ID sensors, a more powerful A13 processor and possibly support for Apple Pencil The MacBook keyboard fiasco is way worse than Apple thinks David Heinemeier Hansson. Founder of Basecamp. Creator of Ruby on Rails. Apple keep in

Send us a text!This week:  News+,  TV+,  Arcade,  Card, we react to it ALL. Plus we'll fill in all the details on Apple’s new services. And just when you thought it was safe to type, Apple apologizes for MORE ongoing MacBook Air and MacBook Pro keyboard issues. This episode supported by Whether you are looking for investors, a co-founder, a new job opportunity, or just inspiring conversations, Shapr can connect you to professionals who truly want to share tips and help. Learn more and download the app at Shapr.co. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney Pre-Order Leander's new book, signed! Erfon has a moment of eros reviewing Logitech's most premium keyboard Apple apologizes for continuing problems with MacBook keyboard MacBooks made after 2015 have had keyboard issues. Apple tweaked the design of this critical component last year, and there was great optimism that the problem had been fixed in the latest macOS computers. Nope. After months of use, owners of the 2018 MacBook Pro or MacBook Air are reporting keys that stick, either so they become unresponsive or repeat letters. This was highlighted today by Joanna Stern in a Wall Street Journal editorial written on a MacBook Pro with the E and R keys failing. “To sha th pain of using an Appl laptop kyboad that’s faild aft fou months, I could only think of on ida: tak all th bokn ltts out of my column,” wrote Stern. The WSJ article has toggles to make the missing letters reappear. Apple responded to Stern’s article by saying “We are aware that a small number of users are having issues with their third-generation butterfly keyboard and for that we are sorry. The vast majority of Mac notebook customers are having a positive experience with the new keyboard.” But they still have not offered the same extended keyboard warranty they have given to 2016 and 2017 MacBook Pro owners... These are the ‘low rates’ currently available for Apple Card With Apple TV+, Tim Cook peddles an antidote to toxic TV [Opinion] At a time when critically acclaimed TV shows serve up a steady stream of sex and violence, the upcoming Apple TV+ service proffers an unusual prescription for success: optimism, inclusion, creativity and inspiration. These are all the games coming to Apple Arcade Apple showed off a smattering of games for its upcoming Apple Arcade subscription service at yesterday’s event. But, presumably because reeling off a list of 100 titles would’ve slowed the event

Send us a text!This week: Apple just released so much new hardware, they had to do it over 3 full days. We break it all down, and react to all the new gear. Plus, the saga of MoviePass continues with yet another new wild announcement… but is their new unlimited plan too good to be true? This episode supported by Whether you are looking for investors, a co-founder, a new job opportunity, or just inspiring conversations, Shapr can connect you to professionals who truly want to share tips and help. Learn more and download the app at Shapr.co. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney Pre-Order Leander's new book! https://amzn.to/2XXTWLO Why this week’s Apple PR blitz is brilliant [Opinion] Apple is reaching Hannukah levels of gifting this week with significant new hardware releases on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.   MONDAY On Monday Apple released a new iPad Air 3 and iPad Mini 5 iPad Air 3 The new iPad Air has a 10.5-inch Retain display, A12 Bionic chip, and first-generation Apple Pencil support. Performance-wise, it’s just as fast as the iPhone XS. This iPad replaces the older 10.5-inch iPad Pro that Apple’s been selling for $650 up until now $500 for the 64GB model iPad Mini 5 iPad mini now delivers three times the performance and nine times faster graphics. Improved Retina display with True Tone, wide color support, is 25 percent brighter than before. A12 Bionic processor first-generation Apple Pencil support Headphone jack! the same $399 price tag as the previous model.   TUESDAY On Tuesday Apple gave some much needed spec bumps to the iMac, added better RAM and GPU options to the iMac Pro, and even dropped the prices on some of their high-end MacBook Pros! iMac iMac lineup has been updated with Intel's latest 8th-gen and 9th-gen Core processors, including a six-core 8th-gen Core i7 with Turbo Boost, and a monster eight-core 9th-gen Core i9 with Turbo Boost up to 5.0GHz (for the 27-inch 5K iMac). Apple says the new i7 brings a 60% performance increase for the 21.5-inch iMac, and up to a 240% for the for new i9 iMac. Radeon Pro Vega graphics options are now available across the new iMac lineup, including Vega 20 for 21.5-inch models and Vega 48 for 27-inch models. Apple advertises up to 80 percent faster graphics performance compared to the previous iMac lineup. New RAM and storage options are also available. Base iMac STILL include a 5400RPM mechanical hard drive… Mac Pro now available with Vega 64X graphics and 256GB RAM Those with a need for speed can now equip the iMac Pro with an AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X graphics card and up to 256GB of RAM for the first time. But be prepa

Send us a text!This week: Apple’s Showtime event is just around the corner, and this is the first event ever that focuses purely on services. Is Apple’s streaming TV service going to suck? We’ll tell you what we expect! Plus: Leander unveils the details on his new Tim Cook book, out April 16th!   This episode supported by Whether you are looking for investors, a co-founder, a new job opportunity, or just inspiring conversations, Shapr can connect you to professionals who truly want to share tips and help. Learn more and download the app at Shapr.co. Easily create a beautiful website all by yourself, at Squarespace.com/cultcast. Use offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co.   On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney   Apple reveals WWDC 2019 set for June 3 – 7 This morning, Apple revealed that it will host WWDC 2019 in San Jose, California, from June 3 to 7. Registered developers can apply for tickets now through March 20 at 5 p.m. Pacific on the WWDC website. Tickets cost $1,599 per person and are issued through a random selection process. iOS 13, macOS 10.15, watchOS 6 and tvOS 13 are all expected to be previewed during the WWDC 2019 keynote   It’s show time! Apple confirms March 25 event at Steve Jobs Theater Apple will hold its next special event on Monday, March 25, in the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino.   What to expect from Apple’s ‘show time’ event on March 25 The first Apple event of 2019 is nearly here. Tim Cook and friends are set to take the stage at the Steve Jobs Theater on March 25 to unveil the company’s newest goodies, only instead of unveiling some shiny new gadgets you can buy, Apple is supposedly going to bust out some services you can subscribe to. Apple’s “It’s show time” event is expected to be the first one ever where services and software play the starring roles. TV streaming service Instead of trying to be just like Netflix, Apple’s new TV service is expected to pull in content from other sources like Hulu, Showtime and HBO. As for Apple’s own TV shows, don’t expect them to be available at launch. The company allegedly will show a few previews at the event, giving us our first glimpse of the TV series it’s been working on. Some of the shows likely will come out later in the year, but Apple has so many projects in the works that most won’t come out until later. Apple News service Details about what, exactly, the new news service will look like remai murky. Rumors indicate it will cost about $9.99 per month, giving readers access to unlimited articles from sites that usually put their content behind a paywall. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and other publishers have all been approached to join the service. Some of those companies reportedly chafed at Apple’s proposed 50/50 revenue split Magazine Servi

Send us a text!This week: Samsung has been sending Apple foldable screens… is a folding iPhone on the horizon? Plus: Apple may have quietly fixed MacBook Pro’s ‘stage light’ flaw; Apple prepping products that will “blow you away”; and Tim Cook receives a brand new nick name from none other than Donald J. Trump, and his reaction is legendary. This episode supported by Whether you are looking for investors, a co-founder, a new job opportunity, or just inspiring conversations, Shapr can connect you to professionals who truly want to share tips and help. Learn more and download the app at Shapr.co. Our thanks to Linked In for supporting this episode. A business is only as strong as its people, and every hire matters… head to LinkedIn.com/cultcast and get a $50 credit toward your first job post. Listen to Season 2 of Breach, The Equifax Story: This Time It’s Personal... Subscribe to Breach in your podcast app! CultCloth will keep your iPhone X, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad sparkling clean, and for a limited time use code CULTCAST at checkout to score a free CleanCloth with any order at CultCloth.co. On the show this week @erfon / @lewiswallace / @lkahney Samsung sends foldable screen samples to Apple Samsung was one of the first out of the gate with a folding smartphone. Now it is trying to entice its competitors, including Apple, to join the foldable future. Samsung, which debuted the Galaxy Fold at its “Unpacked” event on Feb. 20, has reportedly sent some foldable display panel samples to Cupertino in hopes of attracting Apple as a client. Plastic screens the the ones Samsung is producing won’t the only option forever. Corning is working on flexible glass panels that could be used in future phones. There are currently two folding phones on the market, and the prices of both are reeediculous The Galaxy Fold is currently the cheapest at $1,980. Huawei’s Mate X $2,600 Apple may have quietly fixed MacBook Pro’s ‘stage light’ flaw Apple’s latest MacBook Pro lineup may be immune to the “stage light” flaw that iFixit claims all MacBook Pros made after 2016 are susceptible. The “stage light” flaw, which others have dubbed “Flexgate,” is caused by the MacBook Pro’s delicate display cables wearing out over time. The cables wrap around the machine’s logic board and bend every time the lid is opened and closed. When the cable starts to have issues, it creates a weird stage light effect on your MacBook’s screen, and the repair is $600 dollars. Well it seems like the problem may have been quietly addressed in 2018 MBPs. On 2018 models, iFixit is reporting that Apple has increased the length of the display cable so it doesn’t come into contact with the logic board. HOPEFULLY, this resolves the issue. But we’ll know in the next 9 months as it seems the display cables start having issues right at the year mark. Right when your warranty expires. Apple ‘rolling the dice’ on its upcoming products Apple CEO Tim Cook is very upbeat about where his company is going. He told investors today that upcoming products will “blow you away.” C